So – for the last two weeks, I have been interviewing. Interviewing for jobs for pay, and interviewing for Internships that would fulfill my MSEd Student Affairs and College Counseling program requirements.
It is an exhausting process. All you job hunters know that. You have to get pumped up to sell yourself. You have to research and prepare. You have to figure out what to wear. You have to put your eyes and ears on steroids and focus, listen, learn, and get a sense of the culture, the personalities, the karma, and the office vibes. If you don’t have a GPS, and you are as directionally challenged as I am, you have to leave a good half hour for getting lost.
During the interview, you have one hour to collect enough data to decide, do I belong here?
After the interview, you process the experience on different levels. I find myself spending more time thinking about the second person in the room who said very little. The few questions she asked were incredibly focused. She also had the opportunity to sit back and observe me as I was engaged with the Director who was asking most of the questions. I’ll just bet she got a really good read on me.
This is my encore career and I want to make it count. I want to be happy, challenged, and find people and students to work with that light my fire. And I’m no dope. I know there will be good days and bad days. No matter where I land. But I want to make sure it’s at a place where it is okay to have bad day. And the folks around me will help each other out.
So guess what? Interviewing for Student Affairs positions is a gift. The self selection process means that on the whole, the people you meet on this interviewing gig are remarkable. Sensational. Amazing. They are helpers and problem solvers. They have been trained to leave their ego at the door….or to leverage it for the common good. They want to help students and they want to help their institutions. They are believers and they are excited about what they do.
My take away from this process has been the opportunity to meet many wonderful people. To all you fellow job hunters out there, what are your take aways?
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Encore Careers
I am preparing my next post, based on my untethered excitement on a freshly minted book, The Big Shift: Navigating The New Stage Beyond Midlife , written by Marc Freedman.
I have not finished the book, but I have highlighted roughly 95% of what I have read so far.
The basic premise is this: we are living longer and we are living healthier. The boomers are experiencing/defining/marketing a new age category, as yet to be named. We are at or past mid life, and we still have miles to go before our children decide its time to relinquish our drivers’ licenses.
Baby boomers have defined new trends throughout their lives from the 60’s social revolution on forward. This group has consistently displayed willingness to reflect upon the meaning and value of their lives and initiate changes.
There is potential here for all types of higher education institutions to serve this interesting, inspiring, and growing trend. And in fact, several already have.
I am eager to jump into this conversation, but need to finish the book first. I’ll be back.
I have not finished the book, but I have highlighted roughly 95% of what I have read so far.
The basic premise is this: we are living longer and we are living healthier. The boomers are experiencing/defining/marketing a new age category, as yet to be named. We are at or past mid life, and we still have miles to go before our children decide its time to relinquish our drivers’ licenses.
Baby boomers have defined new trends throughout their lives from the 60’s social revolution on forward. This group has consistently displayed willingness to reflect upon the meaning and value of their lives and initiate changes.
There is potential here for all types of higher education institutions to serve this interesting, inspiring, and growing trend. And in fact, several already have.
I am eager to jump into this conversation, but need to finish the book first. I’ll be back.
Monday, April 11, 2011
The Job interview invitation!
It’s been a long winter in New Jersey. Lots of snow, lots of work. I have been interning several hours per week, working in Real Estate to pay the rent, and going to graduate school at night. I am lucky. My husband does the laundry and the grocery shopping and he and the kids cheer me on when I question my efforts.
But every morning, the first thing I ask myself is “how am I going to get everything that needs to get done today?” I am tired. Reading the headlines from the Chronicle or CNN doesn’t help. Gloom and doom. Will I get a job? Will someone hire a mid-life career changer? With wrinkles? Is this investment in time, money, and loss of living a normal life worth it? All my mid life friends are busy socializing. I am too busy with Power Point. Doubt haunts me at inopportune hours, wee in the night.
But today, Joy snuck up from behind and gave me a desperately needed shot in the arm.
If I played the lottery, I’d play the number 41111, today’s date. I would play it because today was a three star date for this mid-life career changer. As a mom, I was thrilled by my 16 year old daughter’s great news. She got accepted into a summer program she has been obsessed by. Witnessing her joy was a gift. She navigated the entire admissions process on her own and did herself proud. Made my heart squeeze with happiness!
An hour later, my cell phone rang, and it was an invitation to interview for a job I had applied to! Even though I have 18 credits to go in my graduate program, my internship supervisor, the Dean at the Center for Student Success, suggested that I start sending my resume out now. I am so glad I took her advice. The position is temporary (just for the summer) but it is in my area of choice as an educational counselor working with Educational Opportunity Fund students, (a NJ program with amazing support for low income college students.)
If I am lucky enough to get the position, you will hear my shouts of joy across the land. If I don’t get the job, it will be a great start. To get the phone call, validating my choice to go to grad school is fuel enough for today. And tomorrow. And hopefully enough to get me through the semester and beyond.
The third star? I logged into my email, and found an invitation for a telephone interview for an internship position for next fall. I applied three weeks ago, and had just about given up hope. It is with a wonderful college and is my absolute first choice. I am jumping around all over the house!
Joy, joy, pure joy. Hard work does reward. Developing great references pays off. Joining professional associations and volunteering for them makes a contribution, builds your resume, makes you feel good, and helps others who are dedicated to your field of choice.
My dad was right. Just keep plugging away. It will pay off in the end. If you are feeling discouraged, contact me. Right now, I have enough enthusiasm to raise the Titanic and will gladly help you build up enough juice to do the same! Peace out!
But every morning, the first thing I ask myself is “how am I going to get everything that needs to get done today?” I am tired. Reading the headlines from the Chronicle or CNN doesn’t help. Gloom and doom. Will I get a job? Will someone hire a mid-life career changer? With wrinkles? Is this investment in time, money, and loss of living a normal life worth it? All my mid life friends are busy socializing. I am too busy with Power Point. Doubt haunts me at inopportune hours, wee in the night.
But today, Joy snuck up from behind and gave me a desperately needed shot in the arm.
If I played the lottery, I’d play the number 41111, today’s date. I would play it because today was a three star date for this mid-life career changer. As a mom, I was thrilled by my 16 year old daughter’s great news. She got accepted into a summer program she has been obsessed by. Witnessing her joy was a gift. She navigated the entire admissions process on her own and did herself proud. Made my heart squeeze with happiness!
An hour later, my cell phone rang, and it was an invitation to interview for a job I had applied to! Even though I have 18 credits to go in my graduate program, my internship supervisor, the Dean at the Center for Student Success, suggested that I start sending my resume out now. I am so glad I took her advice. The position is temporary (just for the summer) but it is in my area of choice as an educational counselor working with Educational Opportunity Fund students, (a NJ program with amazing support for low income college students.)
If I am lucky enough to get the position, you will hear my shouts of joy across the land. If I don’t get the job, it will be a great start. To get the phone call, validating my choice to go to grad school is fuel enough for today. And tomorrow. And hopefully enough to get me through the semester and beyond.
The third star? I logged into my email, and found an invitation for a telephone interview for an internship position for next fall. I applied three weeks ago, and had just about given up hope. It is with a wonderful college and is my absolute first choice. I am jumping around all over the house!
Joy, joy, pure joy. Hard work does reward. Developing great references pays off. Joining professional associations and volunteering for them makes a contribution, builds your resume, makes you feel good, and helps others who are dedicated to your field of choice.
My dad was right. Just keep plugging away. It will pay off in the end. If you are feeling discouraged, contact me. Right now, I have enough enthusiasm to raise the Titanic and will gladly help you build up enough juice to do the same! Peace out!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)